ADVANCED CROSS CURRENT COMPENSATION SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ENHANCING REACTIVE CURRENT SHARING IN POWER GENERATION HAVING MULTIPLE GENERATORS
The present system and method provides a cross-current compensation control system that provides for improved load sharing performance during the parallel operation of multiple generators through use of a Proportional Integral PI controller or a Proportional Integral Differential PID controller eliminating steady state error in reactive current sharing, with such providing a stable and robust response with uncertain variations of equipment in the power system through improved cross-current compensation when various system parameter uncertainties exist.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/809,009, filed on Feb. 22, 2019, the disclosure of which is hereby fully incorporated by reference.
FIELDThe present disclosure relates to power generation systems and, more specifically, to a control system for power generation systems having multiple generators.
BACKGROUNDThe statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Multiple generators or generator sets (gensets) are often operated in parallel to improve fuel economy and the reliability power generation of a power supply. Fuel economy is improved with multiple paralleled generators by selecting only sufficient generators to carry the load demand at any given time. By operating each generator near its full capacity, fuel is utilized efficiently. Each of the multiple generators provides an output power to a connected generator transformer that then connects the generator output to the power grid or load. Each generator's transformer transforms the received power to the desired or specified grid or transmission line power.
An automatic voltage regulator (AVR) is an electronic device used to provide precise, regulated generator voltage when a generator is at no load and when changing loads on the generator. In many implementations, an AVR is used to control the reactive operations of the generator by providing and adjusting the generator field power such as the excitation power. Since the AVR controls only the reactive power, this disclosure only addresses the control of the reactive power even though the generators produce both real and reactive power. As such, and for simplifying this disclosure, real power is assumed to be zero unless otherwise stated. In many implementations, an AVR is used to control the operations of the generator by providing the generator field power such as excitation voltage to an exciter or other generator component for controlling the reactive power output of the generator power. The generator field power, such as excitation voltage, is often a DC voltage and is provided to the generator field power or excitation input of the generator, for powering the generator field so that generator produces an output terminal voltage VT that has a fixed or stable reactive current regardless of the real power being drawn by the grid load at any particular time during operation. When generators are connected together in parallel operation, a parallel compensation element is required to assist each generator's AVR in controlling the generator's reactive loads as addressed in IEEE
Std. 421.5-2016, IEEE Recommended Practice for Excitation System Models for Power System Stability Studies.
As noted, each generator includes a generator field input for receiving a generator field input voltage or power that is typically provided by the AVR. Typically, the generator field input voltage is an amount that is a predetermined reference generator field voltage amount, which is also commonly referred to as the voltage set point, such as by way of example can be 12 volts DC. The AVR can receive a base generator field power such as 12 volts DC from a local DC power source, from which the AVR derives the determined reference generator field voltage. Alternatively, the AVR can obtain or derive a desired or determined generator power from an input power such as obtained from an output of one or more of the generators or locally. Regardless of how the reference generator field voltage is obtained by the AVR, the AVR's generated generator field voltage (or power) is provided to the generator field or excitation field of the generator, which controls the input to the main field of the generator and that results in the generation of the generated output power or terminal voltage VT of the generator.
Generally, a basic AVR senses the output terminal voltage VT of a generator and compares it to a reference voltage VREF. Based on such comparison of these two voltages, the AVR produces the generator field input voltage that is an adjusted generator field value. The value is adjusted up or down from the predetermined generator field input voltage that results in a change of control of the generator and therefore a change in the output terminal voltage VT. Two or more generators operating in parallel to supply a common load operate in a similar manner, each with their own associated AVR and predetermined reference generator field voltage. If the terminal voltage VT in an open-circuit mode of operation is exactly the same on all generators, the generators divide the load equally between themselves. Any small difference between terminal voltages VT at the outputs of two or more generators results in unbalanced load division or, in the extreme situation, the creation of an undesirable circulating current.
In practice, the precise matching of output terminal voltages VT of two or more generators is not possible, and as such some amount of circulating current or load unbalance results from the voltage mismatch. To address these issues, two forms of multiple generator control have been developed to address mismatches in the output terminal voltages VT of multiple generators, both of which are referred to as parallel compensation methods as addressed in Rubenstein, A. S., and W. W. Wakley, “Control of reactive kVA with modern amplidyne voltage.” The most commonly used type of paralleling compensation is parallel droop compensation, which is also referred to as reactive droop compensation, or simply “Droop compensation.” The other type of parallel compensation is cross-current compensation (hereinafter “CCC”), which is also referred to as reactive differential compensation.
Droop compensation is utilized to “droop” the voltage profile with increasing reactive power output of the generator. When two generators are operated in parallel, utilizing their droop curves, the reference generator field voltage (or voltage set points) as provided by their respective AVRs are adjusted to generator field values to provide for proportionally sharing of the reactive load. A droop compensation control circuit and method reacts to any imbalance in the terminal voltages produced by the generators. Such generator field controls the droop compensation to change the generator field input values of their respective AVRs in a direction to bring the load back into balance between the multiple generators. When droop compensation is used as an input to each AVR of two or more parallel generators, each parallel droop compensation circuit or element as provided to each generator's AVR is independent of the others, and each magnitude of the change of the adjusted generator field value from the predetermined reference generator field voltage for each generator depends upon the magnitude of the load and power factor.
In the second parallel compensation method, in order to prevent the terminal voltage VT from increasing or decreasing as a function of a change in the power factor of the load, a cross-current compensation CCC element is used as an input to the AVR for controlling the determination of the adjusted generator field value as provided to the generator field input of the generator and therefore operation of the generator. CCC is a method that allows two or more paralleled generators to share a reactive load. A representation of the reactive current Id of each generator is established by the secondary wiring of the compounding current transformers (“CCT” or “CTs) of all the generators that are in parallel. A typical conventional CCC control wiring configuration for two generators is shown in
The generated reactive power of each generator 104A, 104B as represented as idA and idB, respectively, as well at terminal voltages VTA, VTB are provided to a compounding transformer CT 114, shown as 114A, 114B, respectively. After CT 114, generated power is then provided to the system output 108, which provides the generated power Q to the grid load 110. As addressed above, each generator 104A, 104B is controlled by its generator field or excitation system 122A, 122B with CCC loop A based on the received generator field power EFA and EFB for controlling each associated generator 104A, 104B, respectively.
The conventional CCC control system 120 of
Equal current develops through the CTs 114A, 114B of the circuit 102 in parallel when the multiple generators 104 in the power generation circuit 102 are identical. It should be noted that when referring to the CT's, the common control is with reference to the secondary current in the secondary wirings of the CTs, which is the reference as described herein unless otherwise stated. When the generators 104, such as 104A and 104B, are not of equal size, the level of the cross-current to be controlled by each AVR 124A, 124B must be adjusted individually based on the rating of each generator 104A, 104B. Generally, the CTs are selected to provide the same secondary current in each CT.
Each AVR 124 receives a reactive current input CCCT+ from the input side of the associated CT 114 and output CCCT− from the output side of the compounding transformer CT 114 as shown in
Each AVR 124A, 124B produces a reference generator field voltage for each generator's generator fields 118 that is a function of the generator's produced reactive power Q. This reference generator field voltage for a generator 104 is used to regulate the generator field voltage EF that is provided to generator field control input 106 to each generator field 118 of each generator 104. Ideally, the reference generator field voltage produced by an AVR 124 is selected (or predetermined) so that the reactive power difference of the generators 104A and 104B is zero.
Each of the resistors shown in
In implementations of multiple parallel generators, to achieve proper reactive current sharing, a considerable amount of field testing is required to determine the necessary exact gains. This field testing is time consuming, costly and often not accurate over time.
In order to reduce the presently required field tests that are required to determine necessary exact gains to achieve proper reactive current sharing, an improved CCC control system and method is disclosed herein. The present disclosure discloses an improved CCC control system that reduces the previously discussed problems of unbalanced reactive current sharing that can occur due to small differences in voltage generated by multiple generators. Unlike prior art systems that require extensive offline testing prior to attachment to a load, the presently disclosed system and method utilizes a proportional integral PI controller, or in the some embodiments, a proportional, integral, differential PID controller, both of which are referred herein as a PIC unless otherwise specifically stated, that has as an input the difference between the reactive current of one of a plurality of the generators to be controlled, referred to herein as the “controlled generator” IRta, (shown in the formulas that will be addressed as “IR”) and an average reactive current of all paralleled generators IRavg (as shown in the formulas that will be discussed as “IR”). With the improved CCC control system for the new CCC element, steady state errors are eliminated by the PIC and an improved stable and robust controlled output power response is obtained. In the present disclosed control system and method, when reactive current difference as determined by the PIC is equal to or about zero, the control systems reacts as the conventional previously described prior art CCC system. However, when a difference between the reactive current IR of one of the plurality of generators (referred to as a controlled generator referred to as the IRtar) and the average reactive current IRavg occurs and the integral gain is not zero, the present PIC provides a new input characteristic to the CCC element for controlling one or more of the generators until a steady state position is achieved, i.e., steady state is where no difference continues to exist.
According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a method of controlling a power generation system has two or more generators connected in parallel operation. Each of the generators has a terminal voltage and supplies a generator reactive power output to a common load. Each generator also has a generator control input coupled to an automatic voltage regulator (AVR) with a generator reference voltage. The power generation system also has a parallel cross-current compensation CCC element coupled to the output of each generator for receiving both reactive current from the generator. The CCC element is also coupled to the AVR to provide a reactive current compensation to the AVR. The method of controlling includes the process of receiving a reactive current of a controlled generator that is one of two or more generators that is to be controlled, receiving a first generator reactive current from a first generator, and receiving a second generator reactive current from a second generator. The method provides for determining an average generator reactive current by averaging the received first and second generator reactive currents and determining a difference reactive current that is a difference between the received reactive current and the determined average generator reactive current. The method also includes providing the determined difference reactive current to an input of a proportional-integral PI controller PIC and generating an adjusted reactive current compensation as a function of the determined difference reactive current.
According to another aspect, a system is configured for controlling a power generation system having two or more generators connected in parallel operation with each generator having a terminal voltage and supplying a generator reactive power output to a common load. Each generator also has a control input coupled to an automatic voltage regulator (“AVR”) with a generator reference voltage. The power generation system also has a parallel CCC element coupled to the output of each generator for receiving reactive current therefrom. The CCC element is configured to provide a reactive current compensation to the AVR. The control system includes a proportional-integral PI controller PIC, a memory storing executable instructions and a processor configured for executing the stored executable instructions. The control system has an input for receiving a reactive current of a controlled generator that is one generator that is selected to be controlled from among the two or more generators, a first generator reactive current from a first generator, and a second generator reactive current from a second generator. The processor is coupled to the memory and is configured for executing the stored executable instructions that include the operations of determining an average generator reactive current by averaging the received first and second generator reactive currents. The operations also include determining a difference reactive current that is a difference between the received reactive current and the determined average generator reactive current. The method also includes providing the determined difference reactive current to an input of the PIC that is configured to receive the determined difference reactive current, and determining an adjusted reactive current compensation that is then provided to the control input of the generator.
Another disclosed aspect is a method of controlling a power generation system which has two or more generators that are connected in parallel operation and with each generator having a terminal voltage and that supply a generator reactive power output to a common load. Each generator has a control input coupled to an AVR with a generator reference voltage. The power generator system also includes a parallel CCC element coupled to the output of each generator for receiving reactive current and coupled to the AVR for providing a reactive current compensation to the AVR. The method of controlling power generation by the two or more generators includes the operations performed by an improved control system and method that has a PIC therein. The control system also has a memory storing executable instructions, an input, an output coupled to the parallel compensation element, and a processor coupled to the memory and operable for executing the stored executable instructions. The control system is configured to perform the operations of receiving at the input a reactive current of a controlled generator, that is one of the two or more generators to be controlled, receiving at the input a first generator reactive current from a first generator, and receiving a second generator reactive current from a second generator. The control system is also configured for performing the operations of determining an average generator reactive current by averaging the received first and second generator reactive currents, and determining a difference reactive current that is a difference between the received reactive current and the determined average generator reactive current. The method further includes the operations performed by the control system responsive to the received determined difference reactive current to at least one of the first and the second generators. The method also includes in an AVR of at least one of the first and the second generators, the operations of receiving the generated adjusted reactive current compensation and generating an adjusted generator control to control input of the at least one of the first and second generators responsive to the received adjusted reactive current compensation. The method also includes the operation in the at least one of the first and second generators receiving the adjusted generator control, and adjusting an operation of the generator in response to the received adjusted generator control.
According to further aspect, a system is provided for controlling a power generation system that has two or more generators connected in parallel operation with each generator having a terminal voltage and supplying a generator reactive power output to a common load. Each generator has a control input. The system includes an AVR with a generator reference voltage. The AVR has an input and has an output that is coupled to the control input of the at least one of the generators. The system also includes a parallel CCC element coupled to an input to the AVR. A control system includes a PIC, a memory, a processor, an input, an output and executable instructions. The control system is configured for receiving at the input, a reactive current of a controlled generator that is a selected one to be controlled of the two or more generators, a first generator reactive current from a first generator, and a second generator reactive current from a second generator. The processor is configured for executing the executable instructions for determining an average generator reactive current by averaging the received first and second generator reactive currents. The processor also configured for determining a difference reactive current that is a difference between the received reactive current and the determined average generator reactive current. The PIC is configured for receiving the determined difference reactive current and generating an adjusted reactive current compensation as a function of the received difference reactive current. The AVR is further configured for receiving the adjusted reactive current compensation and generating an adjusted generator control responsive to the received adjusted reactive current compensation. At least one of the first and the second generators is configured for receiving the adjusted generator control from the AVR and adjusting an operation of the generator in response to the received adjusted generator control.
Further aspects of the present disclosure will be in part apparent and in part pointed out below. It should be understood that various aspects of the disclosure may be implemented individually or in combination with one another. It should also be understood that the detailed description and drawings, while indicating certain exemplary embodiments, are intended for purposes of illustration only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the disclosure.
It should be understood that throughout the drawings, corresponding reference numerals indicate like or corresponding parts and features.
DETAILED DESCRIPTIONThe following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure or the disclosure's applications or uses.
The disclosed improved cross-current compensation CCC control system and method will be disclosed in more detail with reference to
However, to fully appreciate the disclosure and the improved CCC control system and method, a quick review of the technology behind CCC control systems beyond that, and in more detail as addressed in the background section above will is provided.
Technical BackgroundWith conventional CCC element implementations as introduced above, the CCC element functionality is modeled as the block diagram as shown in
As will be shown in the following section, higher levels of gain KCC produce less steady state error but decrease stability. Table 1 shows an example of the field test results with various gains cross current gains KCC. Table 1 indicates that the larger steady state error is observed as the cross-current gain KCC decreases.
In order to estimate the steady state error in the reactive power Q and in particular the reactive current Id of each generator 104, the closed loop transfer function of the CCC control system 120 is derived using a simplified mathematical model. Based on this analysis, as disclosed herein, there is a need for an improved CCC element that provides for reduced sharing of unbalanced reactive current Id due to any small difference between generator voltages VT.
As will be discussed and further addressed herein, the presently disclosed system and method for controlling of a CCC element has been tested using a commercial, digital AVR on two turbo-charged diesel gensets 104. Test results reflecting the benefits of the presently disclosed control system are also disclosed herein.
To accomplish the disclosed system and method additional technical and mathematical background is provided. The analysis of CCC control systems provides an examination of the relationship between the steady state error in reactive current sharing and the CCC gains KCC. In order to understand the coupling between two generators 104, first an examination of the operation of two synchronous generators 104A, 104B connected to an infinite bus is described. The synchronous generators 104A, 104B are herein analyzed using the normal d-q axes representation as addressed in P. W. Sauer and M.A. Pai, “Power System Dynamics and Stability”, 1998 by Prentice-Hall Inc.
The voltage equations of the synchronous machine with amortisseur effects ignored are given.
As used herein, Vs is the per-unit infinite bus voltage and Ze=Re+jXe is Thevenin's equivalent impedance of the transmission network external to the synchronous machine. Further as described herein, for simplicity the active power is assumed to be zero (iq and ed=0). When Vs is zero, Ze becomes the load impedance.
Reducing the model, the reactive component yields three equations:
As disclosed herein, the improved control system includes a proportional-integral controller PIC to provide for improved regulation of the generated terminal voltage VT and in particular the generator reactive current id. When a generator 104 is connected to the grid load 110, the improved controller with the PIC controls the reactive current Id (also referred herein as IR) of the CT 114 that is coupled via the AVR 124 to the generator field 118. An understanding of the control system and method is shown by equations as a closed loop transfer function as in
Solving for steady state behavior, it is apparent that when only one generator 104 is used, there is no steady state error.
Therefore, the transfer function idVe is expressed in equation (11) as:
For representing multiple generators 104, a second generator 104B is added in parallel to first generator 104A with a CCC loop A1 included as seen in
For better illustration and understanding of the present disclosed system and method, the block diagram of
The closed loop transfer function of this exemplary two-generator system can now be derived by illustration.
The transfer functions of id1/Ve1 and id2/ Ve2 are represented as the transfer function of id/Ve for each generator, respectively. Thus, with the CCC loop A1 becomes:
From the block diagram of
Terminal voltage VT is derived in (15) as:
From this, the steady states values are determined where s=0.
Similarly for A2:
Then the steady state value of the terminal voltage VT becomes:
From equation (18), at steady state, the terminal voltage VT is equal to the reference voltage VREF only in the ideal scenario where both generator target reference generator field voltages (set points) and CCC loops A1, A2 are identical.
Reactive current id at steady state idss is obtained in a similar manner. Here the difference in the steady state reactive currents is due to the variation in reference voltage VREF, i.e., metering voltage.
If the cross-current gains KCC and voltage references VREF are the same for each generator 104A, 104B, the reactive current id is the ideal case of equation (21).
In order to derive the resultant reactive current id for the disclosed improved control system for a CCC element 122, the CCC loop gains C1 and C2 are replaced with PICs.
Substituting a PIC into these reactive current equations provides the steady state value id1.
As such, the disclosed improved CCC element 122 with a PIC will follow the output of the CCC element 122 with zero integral. This is very useful when it is used for the combined load compensation (line drop/droop and CCC). By way of example, if only one of the multiple generators 104, such as a first generator 104A, is a controlled generator that is a selected one of the multiple generators to be controlled by the improved CCC element utilizing PIC as a control input, i.e., assuming that a second generator is only controlled by a conventional CCC element such as loop A2, then loop gain C2=Kp2, then the resultant reactive current id1 is determined by the reference voltage VREF2 of the generator 104B without the integral control.
Improved operations of a CCC element 122 can also be achieved using network load sharing of reactive current id. For this embodiment, the cross-current gain KCC is limited by the time delay in the communication between the two CCC loops A1 and A2 and their respective AVRs 124, which by way of example, can be due to a delay caused by a communication link 130 (as shown in
Based on this technical background review, the presently disclosed improved CCC control system and method are generally described.
Some embodiments of an improved control system for controlling a power generation having two or more generators connected in parallel operation are herein disclosed. Each generator has a terminal voltage and supplies a generator reactive power output at a generator output to a common load. Each generator has a generator field control input coupled to an automatic voltage regulator (AVR) that receives a generator field voltage from a generator field voltage source. The power generation system also has a parallel cross-current compensation element (CCC) coupled to the output of each generator for receiving terminal voltage and to the AVR. The CCC element provides a reactive current compensation input to the AVR responsive to the received terminal voltage or reactive current of the generator. As understood, the parallel cross-current compensation element CCC could include a droop compensation element as well.
The improved control system has a proportional-integral PI controller, a memory for storing executable instructions, an input for receiving a reactive current of a controlled generator selected to be controlled from among the two or more generators. The input also is configured for receiving a first generator reactive current from the output of a first generator and a second generator reactive current from an output of a second generator. Of course, more than two generators could be implemented and controlled by the presently disclosed system and method. The disclosed system can receive the reactive current of the non-associated generator in an analog format as conventional CCC elements often provide. In another embodiment, each AVR that is associated with each of the plurality of generators can provide the reactive current of its associated generator to the AVRs for each of the other generators via a digital communication channel or link as described herein. A processor is coupled to the memory and is configured for executing the stored executable instructions for determining an average generator reactive current by averaging the received first and second generator reactive currents, and determining a difference reactive current that is a difference between the received reactive current and the determined average generator reactive current. The system includes a proportional-integral PI controller PIC configured for receiving the determined difference reactive current, and determining an adjusted reactive current compensation value, and providing the determined adjusted reactive current compensation value as an input to the AVR associated with the controlled generator. The proportional-integral PI controller can be configured to receive first and second gains K1, KG as input settings. When received, the proportional-integral PI controller can be configured to generate the adjusted reactive current compensation responsive to the received first and second gains KI, KG input settings.
As noted above, in some embodiments, the proportional-integral controller could also be a proportional, integral, differential PID controller as well. Further, the PIC could be implemented separately or as a component or element of the parallel cross-compensation element CCC.
In some embodiments, the improved control system can include the AVR that is coupled to the generator wherein the AVR is configured for receiving the adjusted reactive current compensation value from the PIC, and generating an adjusted generator field voltage that is an adjustment from the generator field set point voltage of the controlled generator responsive to the received adjusted reactive current compensation value. The AVR would then provide the adjusted generator field voltage to the generator field control input of the controlled generator that includes the generated adjusted generator field voltage value. There can also be an adjusted power or adjusted current as suitable for input to the generator for controlling an operation of the generator based thereon.
The proportional-integral PI controller and the AVR, alone or in combination, can be configured for determining a reactive current difference between to the first and second generators. When determined reactive current difference is not equal to zero, the control system provides the adjusted generator field voltage that includes the generated adjusted generator field voltage. When the determined reactive current difference is equal to zero, the provided adjusted generator field voltage is a function of the received reference voltage and the current compensation input from the CCC element.
In some embodiments, the adjusted reactive current compensation value can include an adjusted generator field control voltage value. In such embodiments, a voltage summing input can be provided at an input to the AVR associated with the controlled generator, and configured for receiving the adjusted generator field control voltage value, a reference voltage from a reference power source, and the current compensation input from the CCC element. In such embodiments, the AVR utilizes each, at least in part, for generating of the adjusted generator field voltage.
In operation, this method of controlling each of a set of multi-generators connected in parallel can be described as including the improved operational control processes that includes receiving a reactive current of a controlled generator that is selected to be controlled from among the two or more generators, receiving a first generator reactive current from the output of the first generator, and receiving a second generator reactive current from the output of the second generator. The method then includes determining an average generator reactive current by averaging the received first and second generator reactive currents, and determining a difference reactive current that is a difference between the received reactive current and the determined average generator reactive current. Next, the method includes providing the determined difference reactive current to an input of a proportional-integral PI controller, and generating an adjusted reactive current compensation value as a function of the determined difference reactive current. Once this is completed, the method provides the adjusted reactive current compensation value has an input to the AVR associated with the controlled generator for use thereby in controlling the controlled generator. As noted above, in some embodiments, the proportional-integral PI controller has an input for receiving first and second gains KI, KG as input settings to the proportional-integral PI controller. In such embodiments, the process of generating of the adjusted reactive current compensation is responsive to the received first and second gains KI, KG input settings.
In some embodiments where the AVR is included, the method can include receiving the adjusted reactive current compensation value, generating an adjusted generator field voltage value that is an adjustment from the generator field voltage of the controlled generator responsive to the received adjusted reactive current compensation value, and providing an adjusted generator field voltage to the generator field control input of the controlled generator. In other embodiments, a system and method is disclosed that provides for controlling a power generation system having two or more generators connected in parallel operation. In such embodiments, the power generation and control system includes an AVR associated with each generator, a parallel cross-current compensation element CCC, and an improved control system having a proportional-integral PI controller. Each automatic voltage regulator (AVR) has a generator reference voltage associated with each of the two or more generators, and has an input and has an output that is coupled to the generator field control input of associated generator. The parallel cross-current compensation element CCC is coupled to an input of each AVR for providing current compensation to each AVR. The control system for each generator with the proportional-integral PI controller has a memory, a processor, an input, a control output, and executable instructions. Each control system can be configured for receiving at the input, a reactive current of the generator associated therewith, a generator reactive current from the output its generator, and a generator reactive current from the output of one or more of the other generators.
The control system includes executable instructions for determining an average generator reactive current by averaging the received generator reactive currents, and determining a difference reactive current that is a difference between the received reactive current and the determined average generator reactive current. The proportional-integral PI controller is configured for receiving the determined difference reactive current and generating an adjusted reactive current compensation value as a function of the received difference reactive current.
The AVR is configured to receive a reference voltage from a reference voltage source, and receive current compensation from the parallel cross-current compensation element CCC. It is further configured to receive the determined adjusted reactive current compensation value from the control system and generate an adjusted generator control responsive to the received adjusted reactive current compensation value, the received reference voltage, and the received current compensation. In some embodiments, the control system is configured for generating the adjusted reactive current compensation value as an adjusted generator field voltage value. In such embodiments, the generated adjusted generator field voltage is provided to a voltage summing input of the AVR of the controlled generator along with the received reference voltage and the received current compensation. In some embodiments, the AVR is configured to generate as the adjusted generator control an adjustment from the generator field voltage provided to the generator field control input of the controlled generator. Also
The associated generator to be controlled, referred herein as the controlled generator, receives the adjusted generator control from the AVR and adjusts an operation of the generator in response to the received adjusted generator control.
Referring now to the exemplary embodiments of the drawings, as shown an improved CCC control system 202 and method of operation is illustrated by exemplary embodiment in
The reactive current difference passes through the PI Controller after being adjusted by the proportional gain KG, as stated above. It passes through two internal control loops. The first loop is a proportional loop 203, where the reactive current is received by a summing point 206. The second internal loop is the lower outer integral loop 205 with the integral gain module 208, which is also received by the summing point 206. The integral gain module 208 receives the reactive current that was initially passed through KG and applies the integral gain KI to it. The integral gain module 208 has a limiting capability therewith, in that if the reactive current exceeds a maximum limit, or is lower than a minimum limit, the integral gain module will limit the output to a predetermined value to being a maximum value, VcccMax, where the reactive current exceeds this upper limit value, and a minimum value , −VcccMin, where the reactive current falls below this lower limit value.
At summing point 206, the reactive current from the first proportional loop 203 and the reactive current from the second integral loop 205 are received. Those reactive currents are summed together. The output VC of summing point 206 is then received by a limiter 210. The limiter 210 receives the output VC of summing point 206 and is configured to bind the output VC to within a predetermined upper limit VcccMax and a predetermined lower limit −VcccMin. The output of the limiter 210 is then provided as the output VC of the PIC element 202.
When the reactive current difference is equal to or about zero, the presently disclosed system, an example embodiment of which is shown in
A maximum adjustment of the generator by an adjusted generator field input level EFADJ, as provided by the control system output VC is limited to within the established upper and lower limits of the limiter 210e, VcccMax or −VcccMax, that restricts its output within the maximum variation of the terminal voltage VT. By way of example, as shown in
The proportional plus integral control functionality of the improved control system 202 using the PIC as shown in
While not shown, as discussed above, it should be understood to those of ordinary skill in the art after reviewing this disclosure that the disclosed improved CCC control method is applicable to the combined load CCC system with line drop compensation and reactive current compensation, which is utilized to improve system voltage support while maintaining stability of the paralleled units. Further, it should be understood that, while
The performance of the disclosed improved CCC control system and method has been validated using two diesel gensets, 125 kVA, rated 208 Vac and 1,800 rpm. Since both generating sets were equipped with a rotary exciter, the PID controller was used with the PID gains of KPR=5; KIR=10; KDR=0.2; and TDR=0.01.
The disclosed improved CCC control system 200 and control method was applied to the two generators in the tests both in island mode and while connected to the grid as a load. The performance of reactive current compensation sharing based on droop compensation was tested with 0.5% of voltage error to consider the industrial environment. This error included uncertainties in the system equipment such as machine impedance, line impedances, and calibration errors in the generator terminal voltage, by way of example. Three different methods were compared for the testing of the parallel operation in the island system test. A voltage mismatch between two generators was added to the 2nd generator of VREF1=1.005. This was tested with 5% of droop compensation. The CCC gains were KG1=KG2=0.1 and K11K=1.0.
As shown in
One embodiment of the describe method for controlling multiple parallel generators is shown in the flow chart of
Process 400 can also include the processes not only of the improved control system 202 as shown in
Table 2 shows the steady state values of the reactive power Q comparing three different improved control systems having different gains as compared to the droop and conventional CCC genset control systems. It is assumed for the CCC mode that KG1=KG2=0.1.
Where multiple generators 104 are connected to the grid/load, such as where two generators 104A, 104B are connected to the same power bus, reactive current compensation can be performed with three different methods: droop, conventional CCC, and the improved CCC control system and method. Total real power can be assumed as 0.9 p.u. A combined load compensation with CCC and droop compensation was configured for a test. The CCC gains were KG=0.1 and KI=0.1. The systems were tested with 2% of droop compensation.
Initially the generators were operated with the improved CCC with 2% of droop. The results of three tests sequences are illustrated in
(a) Cross-current mode is disabled at 2.4 seconds.
(b) The conventional CCC is enabled at 2.4 seconds.
(c) The improved CCC is enabled at 2.4 seconds.
As shown in
As shown, the performance of the improved CCC control system and method has been tested for two generators in island mode and also when connected to the grid/load. The new CCC control loop was shown to be more robust and to outperform the conventional cross-current control systems and methods.
Utilization of the improved CCC control system and method not only improves performance and stability of a multiple generator power control system providing power to a common load or grid, but also eliminates the need for estimating the wiring line impedances or generator impedances. Thus, with the improved CCC control systems and method, the commissioning of reactive current sharing for multiple gensets can be quickly accomplished with excellent performance results.
Computer Operating Environment for The Improved CCC Control SystemReferring to
As addressed above, the input and output devices can include a communication interface including a graphical user interface. Any or all of the computer components of the network interface and communications systems and methods can be any computing device including, and not limited to, a lap top, PDA, Cell/mobile phone, as well as potentially a dedicated device. The software can be implemented as any “app” thereon and still within the scope of this disclosure.
The illustrated CPU 504 is of familiar design and includes an arithmetic logic unit (ALU) 514 for performing computations, a collection of registers 516 for temporary storage of data and instructions, and a control unit 518 for controlling operation of the computer system 500. Any of a variety of micro-processors are equally preferred but not limited thereto, for the CPU 504. This illustrated embodiment operates on an operating system designed to be portable to any of these processing platforms.
The memory system 506 generally includes high-speed main memory 520 in the form of a medium such as random access memory (RAM) and read only memory (ROM) semiconductor devices that are typical on a non-transient computer recordable medium. The present disclosure is not limited thereto and can also include secondary storage 522 in the form of long term storage mediums such as floppy disks, hard disks, tape, CD-ROM, flash memory, etc., and other devices that store data using electrical, magnetic, and optical or other recording media. The main memory 520 also can include, in some embodiments, a video display memory for displaying images through a display device (not shown). Those skilled in the art will recognize that the memory system 1006 can comprise a variety of alternative components having a variety of storage capacities.
Where applicable, an input device 510, and output device 512 can also be provided in the system as described herein or embodiments thereof. The input device 510 can comprise any keyboard, mouse, physical transducer (e.g. a microphone), and can be interconnected to the computer 502 via an input interface 524, such as a graphical user interface, associated with or separate from the above described communication interface including the antenna interface for wireless communications. The output device 512 can include a display, a printer, a transducer (e.g. a speaker), etc., and be interconnected to the computer 502 via an output interface 526 that can include the above described communication interface including the antenna interface. Some devices, such as a network adapter or a modem, can be used as input and/or output devices.
As is familiar to those skilled in the art, the computer system 500 further includes an operating system and at least one application program for executable instructions. The operating system is the set of software which controls the computer system's operation and the allocation of resources. The application program is the set of software that performs a task desired by the system and method of the control system and or any of the above described processes and processes using computer resources made available through the operating system.
In accordance with the practices of persons skilled in the art of computer programming, the present disclosure is described below with reference to symbolic representations of operations that are performed by the computer system 500. Such operations are sometimes referred to as being computer-executed. It will be appreciated that the operations which are symbolically represented include the manipulation by the CPU 504 of electrical signals representing data bits and the maintenance of data bits at memory locations in the memory system 506, as well as other processing of signals. The memory locations where data bits are maintained are physical locations that have particular electrical, magnetic, or optical properties corresponding to the data bits. One or more embodiments can be implemented in tangible form in a program or programs defined by computer executable instructions that can be stored on a computer-readable medium. The computer-readable medium can be any of the devices, or a combination of the devices, described above as to memory system 506.
The foregoing disclosure thus discloses multiple systems and methods which can be made up of various elements and steps which may or may not be present in any particular system or method to be used at particular time or in a particular setting, and thus discloses many permutations of systems and methods. The foregoing disclosure allows for variation and selection of features, elements and steps depending upon the user or users.
When describing elements or features and/or embodiments thereof, the articles “a”, “an”, “the”, and “said” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements or features. The terms “comprising”, “including”,-and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements-or features beyond those specifically described.
Those skilled in the art will recognize that various changes can be made to the exemplary embodiments and implementations described above without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings should be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
It is further to be understood that the processes or steps described herein are not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in the particular order discussed or illustrated. It is also to be understood that additional or alternative processes or steps may be employed.
Claims
1. A method of controlling a power generation system having two or more generators connected in parallel operation with each generator having a terminal voltage and supplying a generator reactive power output at a generator output to a common load, each generator having a generator field control input coupled to an automatic voltage regulator (AVR) generator reference voltage, the power generation system also having a parallel cross-current compensation element (CCC) coupled to the output of each generator for receiving reactive current from the generator and coupled to the AVR for providing a current compensation input to the AVR responsive to the received reactive current, the method comprising:
- receiving a reactive current of a controlled generator that is a selected one to be controlled from among the two or more generators;
- receiving a first generator reactive current from the output of the first generator;
- receiving a second generator reactive current from the output of the second generator;
- determining an average generator reactive current by averaging the received first and second generator reactive currents;
- determining a difference reactive current that is a difference between the received reactive current and the determined average generator reactive current;
- providing the determined difference reactive current to an input of a proportional-integral PI controller;
- generating an adjusted reactive current compensation value as a function of the determined difference reactive current; and
- providing the adjusted reactive current compensation value as an input to the AVR associated with the controlled generator.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein in the AVR, the process includes:
- receiving the adjusted reactive current compensation value;
- generating an adjusted generator field voltage value that is an adjustment from the generator field voltage of the controlled generator responsive to the received adjusted reactive current compensation value; and
- providing an adjusted generator field input voltage to the generator field control input of the controlled generator that includes the generated adjusted generator field voltage value.
3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:
- determining a reactive current difference between the received reactive currents of the first and second generators, and wherein when the determined reactive current difference is not equal to or about zero, the providing of the adjusted generator field input voltage includes the generated generator field voltage value, and when the determined reactive current difference is equal to or about zero the provided adjusted generator field input voltage is a function of the received reference voltage and the generator terminal voltage, and does not include the CCC compensation input.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the controlled generator is the first generator, the AVR is the AVR coupled to the first generator and the proportional-integral PI controller is a first proportional-integral PI controller; further comprising:
- providing the received reactive current of the first generator to the AVR of the second generator, wherein in the second AVR, the method further comprising generating a second adjusted generator field voltage value that is an adjustment from a generator field voltage of the second generator responsive to the received reactive current from the first AVR of the first generator, and providing a second adjusted generator field voltage to a generator field control input of the second generator that includes the generated second adjusted generator field voltage value.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the generating of the adjusted reactive current compensation value includes determining an adjusted compensation voltage and providing the adjusted compensation voltage to a voltage summing input of the AVR associated with the controlled generator, the voltage summing input also receiving a reference voltage from a reference power source and the current compensation input from the CCC element.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the controlled generator is the first generator having a first generator field control input receiving a first generator field reference voltage, and the AVR is the first AVR coupled to the first generator, further comprising:
- receiving a second reactive current of the second generator;
- determining a second difference reactive current that is a difference between the received second reactive current and the determined average generator reactive current;
- providing the determined second difference reactive current to an input to a second proportional-integral PI controller associated with the second AVR;
- generating a second adjusted reactive current compensation value as a function of the determined second difference reactive current; and
- providing as an input to the second AVR associated with the second generator the second adjusted reactive current compensation value.
7. The method of claim 6 wherein in the second AVR, the method further comprising:
- receiving the second adjusted reactive current compensation value;
- generating a second adjusted generator field voltage value that is an adjustment from a second generator field voltage of the second generator responsive to the received second reactive current compensation value, and
- providing a second adjusted generator field voltage to a generator field control input of the second generator that includes the generated second generator field voltage value.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein in the proportional-integral PI controller the method further comprising:
- receiving first and second gains K1, KG as input settings to the proportional-integral PI controller; and
- wherein the generating of the adjusted reactive current compensation is responsive to the received first and second gains K1, KG input settings.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein the proportional-integral controller is a component of the parallel cross-current compensation element (CCC).
10. The method of claim 1 wherein the proportional-integral PI controller is a proportional integral derivative PID controller and wherein the step of providing the difference reactive current to the input of the proportional-integral PI controller is providing the input to the PID controller.
11. A system for controlling a power generation system having two or more generators connected in parallel operation with each generator having a terminal voltage and supplying a generator reactive power output at a generator output to a common load, each generator having a generator field control input coupled to an automatic voltage regulator (AVR) that receives a generator field voltage from a generator field voltage source, the power generation system also having a parallel cross-current compensation element (CCC) coupled to the output of each generator for receiving reactive current and to the AVR and for providing a reactive current compensation input to the AVR responsive to the received reactive current, the system comprising:
- a proportional-integral PI controller;
- a memory for storing executable instructions;
- an input for receiving a reactive current of a controlled generator selected to be controlled from among the two or more generators, a first generator reactive current from the output of a first generator, and a second generator reactive current from an output of a second generator;
- a processor coupled to the memory and configured for executing the stored executable instructions including determining an average generator reactive current by averaging the received first and second generator reactive currents, and determining a difference reactive current that is a difference between the received reactive current and the determined average generator reactive current;
- a proportional-integral PI controller configured for receiving the determined difference reactive current, and determining an adjusted reactive current compensation value; and
- providing the determined adjusted reactive current compensation value as an input to the AVR associated with the controlled generator.
12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:
- the AVR being configured for receiving the adjusted reactive current compensation value, generating an adjusted generator field voltage that is an adjustment from the generator field voltage of the controlled generator responsive to the received adjusted reactive current compensation value, and providing the adjusted generator field input voltage to the generator field control input of the controlled generator that includes the generated adjusted generator field voltage value.
13. The system of claim 12, wherein the PI controller and the AVR are configured for
- determining a reactive current difference between to the first and second generators, and wherein when the determined reactive current difference is not equal to or about zero; and
- the PI controller generating an adjusted generator field voltage based on the determined reactive current difference generator field voltage,
- wherein the adjusted generator field voltage combines proportional control with additional integral adjustments for providing the reactive current difference being equal to or about equal to zero.
14. The system of claim 12, wherein the PI controller further includes a differential control loop and is a PID controller, and wherein the PID controller and the AVR are configured for
- determining a reactive current difference between the first and second generators, and wherein when the determined reactive current difference is not equal to or about zero; and
- the PI controller generating an adjusted generator field voltage based on the determined reactive current difference generator field voltage,
- wherein the adjusted generator field voltage combines proportional control with additional integral and derivative adjustments for providing the reactive current difference being equal to or about equal to zero.
15. The system of claim 11, wherein the controlled generator is the first generator and the AVR is a first AVR coupled to the first generator and the adjusted generator field voltage value is a first adjusted generator field voltage value, further comprising the system configured for providing the reactive current of the first generator to a second AVR of the second generator and the second AVR for receiving the first reactive current, generating a second adjusted generator field voltage value that is an adjustment from a generator field voltage of the second generator responsive to the received first reactive current, and for providing a second adjusted generator field input voltage to a generator field control input of the second generator.
16. The system of claim 11 wherein, in response to receiving the adjusted reactive current compensation value, the AVR is configured for providing an adjusted generator field power input to the generator field control input of the controlled generator.
17. The system of claim 11 wherein the system is configured for providing the adjusted reactive current compensation value to a voltage summing input at an input to the AVR associated with the controlled generator, wherein the voltage summing point is configured for receiving the generator terminal voltage, a reference voltage from a reference voltage source, and the current compensation input from the CCC element, and wherein the generating of the adjusted generator field input voltage is responsive at least in part to each.
18. The system of claim 11 wherein the PI controller is a proportional integral derivative (PID) controller.
19. The system of claim 11 wherein the proportional-integral PI controller is configured for:
- receiving first and second gains KI, KG as input settings to the proportional-integral PI controller; and
- wherein the generating of the adjusted reactive current compensation is responsive to the received first and second gains KI, KG input settings.
20. The system of claim 11 wherein the proportional-integral PI controller is configured as a component of the parallel cross-current compensation element.
21. A method of controlling a power generation system having two or more generators connected in parallel operation with each generator having a terminal voltage and supplying a generator reactive power output at a generator output to a common load, each generator having a generator field control input coupled to an automatic voltage regulator (AVR) and that receives a generator field voltage from a generator field voltage source, the power generation system also having a parallel cross-current compensation element (CCC) coupled to the output of each generator for receiving reactive current from the generator and coupled to the AVR for providing a reactive current compensation to the AVR, the method comprising:
- (a) in a control system having a proportional-integral PI controller, a memory storing executable instructions, an input, an output coupled to the parallel cross-current compensation element, and a processor coupled to the memory and operable for executing the stored executable instructions, performing the operations of: receiving at the input a reactive current of a controlled generator that is selected to be controlled from among the two or more generators; receiving at the input a first generator reactive current from a first generator; receiving a second generator reactive current from a second generator; determining an average generator reactive current by averaging the received first and second generator reactive currents; determining a difference reactive current that is a difference between the received reactive current and the determined average generator reactive current; and generating an adjusted reactive current compensation value responsive to the received determined difference reactive current; and
- (b) in an automatic voltage regulator (AVR) coupled to the at least one of the first and second generators: receiving the adjusted reactive current compensation value; and generating an adjusted generator control input to generator field control input of the controlled generator responsive to the received adjusted reactive current compensation; in the controlled generator: receiving the adjusted generator control input; and adjusting an operation of the generator in response to the received adjusted generator control.
22. The method of claim 21 wherein in the AVR, the method further comprising:
- generating as the adjusted generator control input an adjustment to a power provided to the generator field control input of the controlled generator.
23. The method of claim 21 wherein the determining of the adjusted reactive current compensation value includes providing a voltage summing input of the AVR, the method further comprising:
- in the voltage summing point: receiving a reference voltage from a reference voltage source; and receiving the current compensation input from the CCC element, wherein the generating of the adjusted control voltage input is responsive to an output of the voltage summing point of the AVR.
24. The method of claim 21 wherein the control system proportional-integral PI control is a proportional integral derivative (PID) controller.
25. The method of claim 21 wherein in the control system the method further comprising:
- receiving first and second gains KI, KG as input settings to the proportional-integral PI controller;
- wherein the generating the adjusted reactive current compensation is responsive to the received first and second gains KI, KG input settings.
26. A system for controlling a power generation system having two or more generators connected in parallel operation with each generator having an output, a terminal voltage and supplying a generator reactive power output via the output to a common load, each generator having a generator field control input, the power generation system comprising:
- an automatic voltage regulator (AVR) with a generator reference voltage associated with each of the two or more generators, each AVR having an input and having an output that is coupled to the generator field control input of the associated generator;
- a parallel cross-current compensation element CCC coupled to an input of each AVR of the two or more generators and configured for receiving reactive current from its associated generator and providing reactive current compensation to its associated AVR; and
- a control system for each of the two or more generators, each control system having a proportional-integral PI controller, a memory, a processor, a first input, a second input, an control output, and executable instructions, each control system being configured for receiving at the first input, the reactive current of its associated generator, generator, and a second generator reactive current from an output of a second different one of the two or more generators;
- the executable instructions for each control system configured for performing the operation of determining an average generator reactive current by averaging the received reactive current of its associated generator and the received reactive of the second generator, and determining a difference reactive current that is a difference between the received reactive currents and the determined average generator reactive current,
- the proportional-integral PI controller being configured for: receiving the determined difference reactive current and generating an adjusted reactive current compensation value as a function of the received difference reactive current; receiving the determined difference reactive current from the control system; and generating an adjusted reactive current compensation value responsive to the received determined difference reactive current;
- the automatic voltage regulator (AVR) being configured for: receiving a reference voltage from a reference voltage source; receiving current compensation from the parallel cross-current compensation element CCC; receiving the determined adjusted reactive current compensation value from the control system; and generating an adjusted generator control input responsive to the received adjusted reactive current compensation value, the received reference voltage, and the received current compensation;
- wherein the controlled generator is configured for: receiving the adjusted generator control input from the AVR; and adjusting an operation of the generator in response to the received adjusted generator control input.
27. The system of claim 26 wherein the AVR is further configured for generating as the adjusted generator control input an adjustment to the generator field voltage provided to the generator field control input of the controlled generator.
28. The system of claim 26 wherein the PI controller is a proportional integral derivative (PID) controller.
29. The system of claim 26 wherein each control system is further configured for generating the adjusted reactive current compensation value as an adjusted generator field voltage value, wherein the generated adjusted generator field voltage is provided to a voltage summing input of the AVR of the associated generator along with the received reference voltage and the received current compensation.
30. The system of claim 26 wherein each control system is further configured for each associated generator:
- receiving first and second gains KI, KG as input settings to the proportional-integral PI controller; and
- wherein the generating of the adjusted reactive current compensation value is responsive to the received first and second gains KI, KG input settings.
31. The system of claim 26 wherein each proportional-integral PI controller is further configured as a component of the parallel cross-current compensation element.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 21, 2020
Publication Date: Dec 24, 2020
Patent Grant number: 10965232
Inventors: Kiyong KIM (Collinsville, IL), Daniel WEBER (Manchester, MO)
Application Number: 16/962,420